A a rapidly growing fire broke out north of Los Angeles, while two major fires burning in the metropolitan area for more than two weeks have been brought under control, fire officials said.
Fierce flames devoured hillsides near Castaic Lake on Wednesday, spreading quickly to cover more than 9,400 hectares (3,800 acres) in a matter of hours.
Evacuations were ordered for 31,000 people around the lake, which is located 56 km (35 miles) north of Los Angeles, and near the city of Santa Clarita.
The US Forest Service said the entire 700,000-acre (2,800 sq-km) park in the San Gabriel Mountains was closed to visitors.
As the new fire raged, the two deadly fires that devastated Los Angeles came under greater control, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.
Since Jan. 7, the two fires have burned an area nearly the size of Washington, D.C., killing 28 people and damaging or destroying nearly 16,000 structures, Cal Fire said.
Private forecaster AccuWeather projects damage and economic losses at more than $250 billion.
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2025-01-23 10:07:00
